US11563224B2 - Method for start preparation - Google Patents
Method for start preparation Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US11563224B2 US11563224B2 US17/269,753 US201917269753A US11563224B2 US 11563224 B2 US11563224 B2 US 11563224B2 US 201917269753 A US201917269753 A US 201917269753A US 11563224 B2 US11563224 B2 US 11563224B2
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- fuel cell
- cell system
- temperature
- starting
- preparation routine
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/04—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
- H01M8/04223—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids during start-up or shut-down; Depolarisation or activation, e.g. purging; Means for short-circuiting defective fuel cells
- H01M8/04253—Means for solving freezing problems
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/04—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
- H01M8/04298—Processes for controlling fuel cells or fuel cell systems
- H01M8/043—Processes for controlling fuel cells or fuel cell systems applied during specific periods
- H01M8/04302—Processes for controlling fuel cells or fuel cell systems applied during specific periods applied during start-up
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/04—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
- H01M8/04298—Processes for controlling fuel cells or fuel cell systems
- H01M8/04694—Processes for controlling fuel cells or fuel cell systems characterised by variables to be controlled
- H01M8/04701—Temperature
- H01M8/04723—Temperature of the coolant
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M2250/00—Fuel cells for particular applications; Specific features of fuel cell system
- H01M2250/20—Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/04—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
- H01M8/04298—Processes for controlling fuel cells or fuel cell systems
- H01M8/043—Processes for controlling fuel cells or fuel cell systems applied during specific periods
- H01M8/04303—Processes for controlling fuel cells or fuel cell systems applied during specific periods applied during shut-down
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/04—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
- H01M8/04298—Processes for controlling fuel cells or fuel cell systems
- H01M8/04313—Processes for controlling fuel cells or fuel cell systems characterised by the detection or assessment of variables; characterised by the detection or assessment of failure or abnormal function
- H01M8/0432—Temperature; Ambient temperature
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/04—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
- H01M8/04298—Processes for controlling fuel cells or fuel cell systems
- H01M8/04313—Processes for controlling fuel cells or fuel cell systems characterised by the detection or assessment of variables; characterised by the detection or assessment of failure or abnormal function
- H01M8/0432—Temperature; Ambient temperature
- H01M8/04358—Temperature; Ambient temperature of the coolant
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
- Y02E60/30—Hydrogen technology
- Y02E60/50—Fuel cells
Definitions
- the invention relates to a method for preparing a fuel cell system in a vehicle for starting, according to the type defined in more detail herein.
- Fuel cell systems are known from the general prior art. They can be used, for example, in vehicles to provide electrical drive power.
- One of the problems of fuel cell systems lies in the formation of very pure water in the fuel cell system during operation. If temperatures fall below freezing point, which is unavoidable in vehicle applications in particular, the fuel cell system can freeze and cause problems when it is restarted, or it takes a very long time to start the fuel cell system. This is due to the fact that condensed and frozen moisture can block gas duct channels and/or valves, for example, and other components can be impaired in their function by the formation of ice.
- a starting preparation routine is performed when the fuel cell system is shut down in order to remove water and moisture from the fuel cell system.
- this involves flushing the fuel cell system with gas, which is conveyed, for example, by the air conveying device and/or a hydrogen recirculation blower or other type of blower.
- gas conveyed, for example, by the air conveying device and/or a hydrogen recirculation blower or other type of blower.
- This blows moisture out of the fuel cell system, and any water separators and the like can be emptied and flushed in order to discharge as much moisture as possible here as well.
- fuel cell systems are typically still very warm during shutdown and the subsequent switching off process, such that vapor may remain in the fuel cell system, which later condenses out and, if the temperatures then fall below freezing, can also lead to the problems described above.
- DE 10 2013 017 543 A1 describes the classification of the load condition before shutting down the fuel cell system into different classes and then determines the time for the start-up preparation routine on the basis of these classes, such that, for example, in the case of very humid operation, drying is even stronger than in the case of less humid operation. All in all, this is still relatively complex.
- the object of the present invention is now to specify an improved method for preparing a fuel cell system for starting in a vehicle, which ensures sufficient drying of the fuel cell system in every case.
- the starting preparation method in the event that the fuel cell had not reached its normal working temperature during a previous operation, and a current temperature falls below the predetermined temperature limit, the fuel cell system is first operated until it reaches its normal working temperature, wherein the starting preparation routine is subsequently performed.
- the method according to the invention simply requests temperatures, which is exceptionally simple and can be done very reliably with simple, robust and inexpensive sensors.
- a conventional starting preparation method is started when a limit temperature is reached, as is known from the prior art.
- the fuel cell system in the vehicle has not reached its normal operating temperature, either because it has only been moved over a short distance or because the ambient temperature was extremely low, then the fuel cell system is started first when the limit temperature is reached. It is then operated until it reaches its normal working temperature.
- This automatic operation of the fuel cell system when the vehicle is actually at a standstill then ensures that when the normal working temperature of the fuel cell system is reached, it is switched off from defined conditions without the need for complex sensor technology to record operating conditions such as humidity and the like. Subsequently, the starting preparation routine is then carried out starting from the renewed shutdown of the fuel cell system in this automatic operation, which has brought about the normal temperature of the fuel cell system.
- a particularly favorable development of the idea is that the starting preparation routine takes place after the fuel cell system has cooled down again to the temperature limit value. This ensures that shutting down the fuel cell system after the normal operating temperature has been reached and the method according to the invention are practically identical in terms of the operating characteristics of the fuel cell system and the starting preparation routine, such that only a single procedure needs to be kept in place, and no complex sensor system with complex programmable values to be recorded, such as humidity, is required. Instead, simple and robust temperature sensors are sufficient to perform the starting preparation routine and, if required, the method according to the invention if the fuel cell system had not reached the normal working temperature in the previous operation.
- the normal working temperature can be predetermined at values between, for example 60° C. and 70° C., preferably about 65° C., which corresponds to a usual working temperature for PEM fuel cells.
- the temperature limit value can be specified at, for example, about 5° C. to 10° C., preferably about 5° C. At such a temperature of about 5° C., which is measured inside the fuel cell system, and here preferably in the area of the stack, it can be assumed that the temperature will drop even further if necessary and that temperatures below freezing point will occur.
- the execution of a starting preparation routine from such a limit temperature of 5° C. is therefore reasonably efficient, on the one hand to cover all cases in which a potential freezing of the fuel cell system is imminent and, on the other hand, in those cases in which higher outside temperatures are present, to precisely avoid this energetic expenditure.
- the starting preparation routine itself can be carried out, for example, in one of the ways known from the prior art, for example by flushing the fuel cell system with air and/or hydrogen, drying the fuel cell system by heating and/or negative pressure, or in similar known ways.
- FIG. 1 illustrates a vehicle with a fuel cell system suitable for carrying out the method according to the invention
- FIG. 2 is a diagram describing the method according to the invention on the basis of a temperature curve T over time t.
- a vehicle 1 is indicated in a highly schematic way.
- the vehicle 1 can, for example, be designed as a passenger car, a lorry, a rail-bound vehicle or an industrial vehicle for logistics purposes.
- the vehicle 1 could just as easily be used, for example, as a ship or an aircraft.
- a fuel cell system 2 indicated in principle, the core of which is a fuel cell 3 .
- This fuel cell 3 is to be constructed as a stack of PEM single cells, a so-called fuel cell pile or fuel cell stack.
- a cathode compartment 4 and an anode compartment 5 are indicated within the fuel cell 3 .
- air is supplied to the cathode compartment 4 via an air conveyor 6 as an oxygen supplier.
- Exhaust air exits the fuel cell system 2 via an exhaust line 7 .
- Hydrogen is supplied to the anode compartment 5 of the fuel cell 3 from a compressed gas storage unit 8 via a pressure control and metering unit 9 .
- Unused hydrogen as well as inert gases and water which are produced in the area of the anode compartment 5 are returned via a recirculation line 10 and can be fed back to the anode compartment 5 mixed with fresh hydrogen.
- a recirculation conveyor 11 is arranged in the recirculation line 10 , which in the exemplary embodiment depicted here is designed as a hydrogen recirculation blower (HRB).
- HRB hydrogen recirculation blower
- the recirculation conveyor 11 could just as well be implemented as a gas jet pump or as a combination of a gas jet pump and a blower.
- a water separator 12 is located in the recirculation line 10 , which is connected to the exhaust air line 7 from the fuel cell system 2 via a drain line 13 with a valve device 14 . Water can thus be collected via the water separator 12 and the valve device 14 and discharged from time to time, for example. It is just as well conceivable to drain the water depending on a filling level in the water separator or depending on concentrations in the so-called anode circuit.
- gas can also be discharged, since inert gas, which has diffused through the membranes of the fuel cell 3 from the cathode compartment 4 into the anode compartment 5 , accumulates in the anode circuit over time. Since this would reduce the hydrogen concentration in the anode circuit, which is constant in its volume, this gas must also be discharged. This can be done via a separate line or together with the water via the drain line 13 and the valve device 14 .
- a connecting line 15 with a valve device 16 can now also be seen, which connects the anode circuit with an air supply line 17 to the cathode compartment 4 of the fuel cell 3 .
- a connection between the cathode side and the anode side of the fuel cell system 2 can thus be created via the connecting line 15 when the valve device 16 is open.
- the connecting line 15 can also be used, for example, to discharge the gas in parallel with the discharge of water via the water separator 12 and the discharge line 13 , in which case the branching point would typically be arranged between the water separator 12 and the recirculation feed device 11 .
- the connecting line 15 with the valve device 16 can also be omitted in the event that the side of the anode compartment 5 is flushed with hydrogen during drying, which is then appropriately diluted by means of the air conveyed through the cathode compartment 4 when it is discharged into the environment via the exhaust line 7 .
- the fuel cell system 2 in the vehicle 1 may further comprise a so-called system bypass 17 , which makes it possible to connect the pressure side of the air conveying device 6 and the exhaust air line 7 via a bypass valve 8 .
- an exhaust air turbine (not shown here) may be arranged in the exhaust air line 7 , which may be mechanically connected to the air conveying device 6 and preferably to an electric machine as a motor/generator or only to a generator and via the latter electrically to a motor for the air conveying device 7 .
- Such a structure is also known from the general prior art and is referred to as an electric turbocharger or motor-assisted turbocharger.
- a starting preparation routine is now carried out in a manner known per se by means of flushing the system and/or drying the system by heating and/or negative pressure as soon as the temperatures, for example the temperature in the environment or in particular the temperature in the fuel cell system, and very preferably in the region of the fuel cell stack, i.e., the fuel cell 3 , fall below a predetermined temperature limit value of, for example, 5° C.
- the process sequence can be seen in particular in FIG. 2 in the graph of temperature T versus time t.
- the first section between the point in time t 0 and the point in time t 1 describes a normal operation in which the operating temperature T, which can preferably be measured in a cooling water circuit of the fuel cell system 2 , since temperature sensors are installed there anyway, fluctuates around an average value T 1 .
- the temperature value should, for example, be below the usually occurring temperature value T 0 , which occurs during normal operation of the fuel cell system 2 or of the vehicle 1 , during a short-distance trip.
- the temperature then drops even further, in particular to a temperature well below the freezing point at the point in time t 5 , which is only minimally above the ambient temperature T a , which is also very low here.
- a freeze starting routine is then initiated to start the fuel cell system 2 , in the course of which the temperature T rises relatively quickly back to the normal operating temperature T 0 and the fuel cell system is ready for operation. This is possible without any problems due to the starting preparation routine started at the point in time t 4 , which has dried out the fuel cell system 2 , since blockages due to ice can be efficiently prevented due to the procedure described.
Abstract
Description
Claims (5)
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
DE102018006624.0 | 2018-08-21 | ||
DE102018006624.0A DE102018006624A1 (en) | 2018-08-21 | 2018-08-21 | Preparation procedure |
PCT/EP2019/071795 WO2020038792A1 (en) | 2018-08-21 | 2019-08-14 | Method for preparing a fuel cell system for startup |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20210242477A1 US20210242477A1 (en) | 2021-08-05 |
US11563224B2 true US11563224B2 (en) | 2023-01-24 |
Family
ID=67770464
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US17/269,753 Active US11563224B2 (en) | 2018-08-21 | 2019-08-14 | Method for start preparation |
Country Status (5)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US11563224B2 (en) |
EP (1) | EP3841634B1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN112585790A (en) |
DE (1) | DE102018006624A1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2020038792A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN113299946A (en) * | 2021-05-17 | 2021-08-24 | 北京格睿能源科技有限公司 | Thermal management method and device for shutdown condition of fuel cell |
Citations (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20040197610A1 (en) * | 2003-04-03 | 2004-10-07 | Volker Drunert | Fuel cell stack preheating |
US20040229097A1 (en) | 2003-05-15 | 2004-11-18 | Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha | Fuel cell system and associated operation method |
US20060183005A1 (en) * | 2005-02-17 | 2006-08-17 | Yip Pui Y J | Drying method for fuel cell stacks |
US20100112389A1 (en) * | 2008-10-31 | 2010-05-06 | Honda Motor Co., Ltd. | Fuel cell system and warming up completion determining method for the same |
DE102012023799A1 (en) | 2012-12-04 | 2014-06-05 | Daimler Ag | Method for preparing re-start of fuel cell system, involves drying anode side and cathode side of fuel cell system by applying vacuum, and filling anode side and the cathode side of fuel cell system with fuel |
DE102013017543A1 (en) | 2013-10-22 | 2015-04-23 | Daimler Ag | Process for starting preparation of a fuel cell system |
DE102016116214A1 (en) | 2016-08-31 | 2018-03-01 | Audi Ag | Method for operating and ensuring a frost start capability of a fuel cell vehicle |
-
2018
- 2018-08-21 DE DE102018006624.0A patent/DE102018006624A1/en active Pending
-
2019
- 2019-08-14 WO PCT/EP2019/071795 patent/WO2020038792A1/en unknown
- 2019-08-14 EP EP19759304.9A patent/EP3841634B1/en active Active
- 2019-08-14 CN CN201980054538.1A patent/CN112585790A/en active Pending
- 2019-08-14 US US17/269,753 patent/US11563224B2/en active Active
Patent Citations (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20040197610A1 (en) * | 2003-04-03 | 2004-10-07 | Volker Drunert | Fuel cell stack preheating |
US20040229097A1 (en) | 2003-05-15 | 2004-11-18 | Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha | Fuel cell system and associated operation method |
DE102004024117A1 (en) | 2003-05-15 | 2004-12-09 | Toyota Jidosha K.K., Toyota | Fuel cell system and associated operating procedure |
US20060183005A1 (en) * | 2005-02-17 | 2006-08-17 | Yip Pui Y J | Drying method for fuel cell stacks |
US20100112389A1 (en) * | 2008-10-31 | 2010-05-06 | Honda Motor Co., Ltd. | Fuel cell system and warming up completion determining method for the same |
DE102012023799A1 (en) | 2012-12-04 | 2014-06-05 | Daimler Ag | Method for preparing re-start of fuel cell system, involves drying anode side and cathode side of fuel cell system by applying vacuum, and filling anode side and the cathode side of fuel cell system with fuel |
DE102013017543A1 (en) | 2013-10-22 | 2015-04-23 | Daimler Ag | Process for starting preparation of a fuel cell system |
DE102016116214A1 (en) | 2016-08-31 | 2018-03-01 | Audi Ag | Method for operating and ensuring a frost start capability of a fuel cell vehicle |
Non-Patent Citations (1)
Title |
---|
PCT/EP2019/071795, International Search Report dated Dec. 4, 2019 (Two (2) pages). |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
CN112585790A (en) | 2021-03-30 |
DE102018006624A1 (en) | 2020-02-27 |
WO2020038792A1 (en) | 2020-02-27 |
EP3841634A1 (en) | 2021-06-30 |
EP3841634B1 (en) | 2022-10-05 |
US20210242477A1 (en) | 2021-08-05 |
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